Selective drive for plural conveyers



June 26, 1951 M, J, REE 2,558,582

SELECTIVE DRIVE FOR PLURAL CONVEYERS Filed Nov. 12, 1948 5 sheets-Sheet 1 ew D W A Hnrney June 26, 195] M 1 REE 2,558,582

SELECTIVE DRIV FOR PLURAI.. CONVEYERS Filed Nov. 12, 1948 f v, 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inwnlnr Marzn cl/ee y' @www \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\Y @i v A ttor/luy l June 26, 1951 M. J. REE

SELECTIVE DRIVE FOR PLURAL CoNvEYERs s sheets-sheet's Filed Nov. 12, 1948 Patented June 26, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT 'QEEECE- 2,558,582 i A rv sELEoTivE DRIVE Foa PLURAL ooNvErEi-is Martin J. Ree, sioux Fails, s. Dak.

Application November 12, 1948, Serial No. 59,577

1 claim. l

The present invention relates to an elevator for refrigerators and it consists in the combinations,l constructions and arrangements of parts herein described and claimed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an elevator for refrigerators having means whereby heavy objects such as cases of bottled beverages may be quickly and easily lifted to a disposal point.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in an apparatus of the character set forth,novel mechanical .means for imparting movement to an endless conveyor.

Another object of the invention is the provision, in an apparatus cf thecharacter set forth, of novel means for preventing an endless conveyor from reversing its direction during intervals between the applicationof power thereto.

Another object of the invention is the provision Yof novel sectional means whereby one of a plurality of endless conveyors forming a part of the invention may beY operated lfrom a single source of power.

Other and Turth'e'r objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specication taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational View, partly broken away, of an embodiment'o'f the invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, of the apparatus shown in `Figure vv1.,

`Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary 'sectional view taken substantially along line 3-'3 of Figure vl,

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line -ll of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 5 5 of Figure 2,

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a portion of the apparatus,

Figure '7 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view, partly in section, of a portion of the apparatus, and

Figure 8 is a perspective view illustrating certain details of construction.

Generally there is provided a refrigeration compartment having a plurality of aligned endless conveyors each having spaced baskets or trays thereon each of which is especially adapted to support thereon an object such as an entire case of bottled beverages or the like. A motor is provided in the compartment and is connected to a shaft which extends longitudinally in proximity to the conveyors and is providedv with cranks vadjacent each ofl which chains `form the principal elements of the conveyors. To eachorF the cranks is pivotally connected a chain 'engaging'nger which is normally held lout of engagement with the cha-in by means of 'a yoke operable by a `rod which extends upwardly and is `reciprocably mounted in thev top of the compartment. The yoke may be released by the rod to thereby allow the ngers 'to give motion in one direction to the conveyor and a novel means is provided for preventing the conveyorfrom backslidingf during the downward'movement 'of the lingers. Doors are provided in the top Aof the compart-i ment over each or the conveyors whereby the same may be loaded and unloaded.

Referring more particularlytothe drawings, there is shown therein a refrigerator .lll'having a door Il in the front wall thereof and a plurality of covers |52 having handles t3 in the top thereof.

Adjacent one end of the compartment yand in the vinteriorthereof is a vertically extending frame member l-'fl having a shelf l5 attached thereto.A Upon the shelf is mounted 'an electric motor IIB whose shait i i carries a pulley lwhich is interconnected by a belt let@ a'pulley2l3 af'- fixed to a shaft?! journaled inthe framelil 'and which shaft has affixed thereto a gear 22 which is enmeshed with a relatively larger gear 23 alixed to one end 'of a horizontally extending shaft 24.

The shaft 24 extends substantially the entire width of the compartment and has integrally formed therein spaced pairs of cranks 25 to "each of 'which is pivotally connected an upwardly and angularly extending nger 26.

A plurality of chain-type conveyors is provided in the compartment and each of which is positioned immediately below one of the doors I2 and each of which comprises a pair of endless chains 21 and each chain of which is entrained over a pair of upper sprockets 28 carried by brackets 29 aixed to the underside of the top of the compartment and a pair of lower sprockets 30 carried by brackets 3l mounted upon the floor of the compartment.

For each of the chains there is provided an upright 32 at the forward end of the compartment and which is interconnected adjacent its upper end with a transversely extending brace member 33 with a like upright 3Q at the rear of the compartment.

Aiilxed to each of the uprights 32 adjacent the upper end thereof is an inwardly extending arm 35. A restraining finger 36 is pivotally mounted upon the shaft 24 by means of a pair of integral- Y of the compartment immediately forwardly of each of the doors I2 is a rod 31 whose upper end is provided with an operating knob 38 and whose center is pivotally connected to an inverted U- shaped yoke 39 whose free ends terminate in outwardly extending integrally formed arms 4D which lie beneath the ngers 26. Surrounding each rod at the top of the compartment is a limiting collar 4I. The rod 31 extends downwardly into the compartment and terminates in an operating knob 38a at its lower end.

Mounted in spaced relation on each pair of chains 21 is a series of shelves 42 which are dependently hung upon bolts 43 carried by the chains.

In operation, it will be apparent that the compartment vIll may be refrigerated in any conventional manner and that the trays 42 may be loaded with cases of bottled goods such as beer, soda and the like through the doors I2 and that, when it is desired to remove such articles from one of the shelves 42, it is only necessary to start the motor I6 through any conventional means whereupon the shaft 24 will be rotated through the action of the shaft l1, pulley i8, belt I9, pulley 20, gear 22 and gear 23. Thereupon that knob 38 which is adjacent the door I2 beneath which is located the particular tray desired is depressed, as indicated in Figure 3. This action allows the fingers 26 to come into contact with the chains 21 of the particular conveyor beneath the chosen door. The continued rotation of the shaft 24 will cause the finger 26 to intermittently move the chains 21 in an upward direction due to the action of the cranks 25. When the cranks 25 are moving downwardly, they will cause the nger 26 to slide along the chain 21 and the ngers 36 meanwhile will hold the chains 21 against movement in a downward direction relative thereto. When the particular tray 42 has reached a position directly beneath the door I2 the rod 31 will be lifted to the position indicated in Figure '1. This action will cause the yoke 39 to likewise move upwardly and the arms 4U to lift the fingers 23 out of engagement with the chains 21 thus stopping any further movement of the conveyor in question. Thus it will be seen that goods may be loaded and unloaded at the will of the operator upon the various trays in the compartment and that the operator may control the movement of the various 4 conveyors within the compartment by stopping and starting the motor I6 and by selectively raising and lowering the rods 31 through the use of the knobs 38.

While but one form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many minor modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope ofthe appended claim.

What is claimed is:

1n a compartment having a plurality of horizontally aligned vertically extending endless chain conveyors, means for selectively moving said endless conveyors, said mea-ns including a frame within said compartment, a horizontally extending shaft carried by said frame adjacent the endless conveyors, a crank formed in said shaft opposite each chain of each conveyor, an upwardly and outwardly extending restraining nger for each of said chains, each having a pair of integrally formed arms at its lower end, said arms each being pivotally connected to said shaft at either side of its associated crank and said finger being in' slidable contact with its associated chain whereby said chain is allowed to move in an upward direction and is restrained from moving'in a downward direction, an actuating finger for each chain pivoted at one end to its associated crank and extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom and having its free end normally in slidable contact with its associated chain to intermittently move said chain in an upward direction, a rod for each conveyor vertically slidable in the top of said compartment, a pair of horizontally directed arms extending outwardly from each of said rods and engageable beneath the actuating lingers associated with each conveyor whereby said actuating fingers may be lifted out of conta-ct with their associated chains uponv an upward movement of said rod, and a motor for revolving said shaft.

MARTIN J. REE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 194,813 Ferguson Sept. 4, 1877 1,713,466 Butler May 14, 1929 2,253,447 Stanford Aug. 19, 194] 

